Missile



K. A. LLS

MIS LE Filed Dec( 2, 1938 Patented May 21, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE IWISSILE Kenneth A. Sells, Kansas City, Kans. ApplicationDecember 2, 1938, Serial No. 24.3,551

1 Claim. p (CI. 273--106) This invention relatesto missiles, such asshuttle-cocks, commonly called birdies," employed in games of Battledoreand shuttle-cock, Badminton, "Indoor aerial tennis," and the likerinwhich a birdie is struck back and forth, usually across a net, byopposing players with bats, rackets, paddles and/or similar impellingobjects.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a birdie ofdurable character, which is` accurate in fiight and relativelyeconomical of` manufacture.

Other important objects of the invention are to provide a birdie, thefeathers of which bloom at the instant of impact of the birdie with abat and which subsequently nest relative to each other for slowing thegame at opposite ends of play and for providing a uniform speed for thebirdie between each of the bats striking it and the peaks'of forwardfiight of the birdie while in the air.

Other objects of the invention are to provide for improving the seatsfor the feathers in relation to the body of the birdie; to provide abirdie the body of which co-acts with the feathers in affecting flightof the birdie; and to provide improved elements and arrangements ofthose elements in the construction of a birdie of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tip for the body of thebirdie, when the game is played with paddles or the like, which improvesthe action of the birdie both when hit and while in the air.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention, Ihave provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of whichis illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a birdie embodying the features of thisinvention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central cross-section through the birdie.

Fig. 3 is a Vertical cross-section through the birdie illustrating theeffect produced by impact member of the birdie shown with the feathersremoved thererom.

Referring more in detail to the drawing: I clesignates a body member fora birdie embodying features of the present invention, which ispreferably formed of a suitable solid cushion gum rubber and which ispreferably stream-lined from its tip end 2 to its eather supporting end3.

i designates a tip for the end 2 of the birdie the body member I of thebirdie is provided on the feather supporting end 3 thereof inannularlydisposed upstanding relation thereto. An annular series of sockets l isalso provided in the body member of the birdie, which initiate at thesurface of said feather supporting end and project angularly inwardly inplanes which would ultimately cross if extended, the sockets being of adepth suitable for receiving and seating substantial portions of thelower ends of the shafts 8 of feathers 9.

It has been found highly desirable to employ turkey feathers, preferablyfrom White Holland and/or Bourbon Red turkeys, or from bronze turkeys,if desired, for the purpose of this birdie, such feathers beingdurableand uniform in construction and capable of withstanding hard usage. As amatter of practice the center of the feather is used, which has beenfound to be of suitable size and strength and has a suitable pulpcontent and thickness of sheath.

On turkey wings, the eathers consist of pointers and webs inapproxmately equal proportions. The web feathers are suitable for thepresent purpose because the plume is evenly divided on both sides of thequill, whereas the pointers have a heavy plume on only one side of thequill. Web feathers of turkeys are thus preferably employed. It has alsobeen found that web feathers of approximately from twelve to fourteeninches in length are preferable for the reason that the center portionsof such feathers have a maximum strength with a minimum of weight andgive the desirecl results required of control members for game objectsconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

As a matter of practice, a suitable adhesive cement is provided in thesockets 'I of the body of the birdie and the lower ends of the feathershafts are preferably spirally bound with tape to facilitate cementingthe feathers in the sockets, the upper ends of the feather shafts beingoverlapped with tape as at il to prevent fraying.

An important feature of the present invention consists of the rim 6,which rim is provided with spaced grooves l2 formed as continuations ofthe outer walls of each of. the sockets 1. The feathers, being disposedangularly relative to each other in the sockets "I, seat in the groovesl2 and are therefore engaged by the rim 6, which tends to hold thefeathers in the .desired positions initially given them.

As a matter of practice, it has been found preferable to space thefeathers in such a manner that they are normally substantially nested inadjacent relation to each other and in such a manner that they guide andcontrol the direction and speed of flight of the birdie.

In using a birdie of the character described and assuming the game of.aerial tennis dart, for example, is being played With the paddles 5, thebirdie is preferably struck out of the hand with the paddle in themanner illustrated in Fig. 3. At the instant of impact, the tip 4 of thebody member is compressed, the compression being carried throughout `thebody member in such a manner as to spread or bloom the feathers 5 andefiect expandingof the resilient rim 6. The birdie is momentarily slowedby such expansion of the rim and feathers and thus provides an opposingplayer with time to ready himself to receive, strike and return thebirdie to his opponent. Immediately subsequent to the impact of thepaddle with the tipend of the birdie, the resiliency of the rim 6efiects nesting of the feathers to normally contracted condition, andthe birdie is thus permitted to fly, in response to the impact, with auniform speed and accurate direction depending upon the skill of theplayers,

to its peak of forward flight, at which point it drops and may bereturned in the same manner by impact with the opponent's paddle, bator` racket. r

Due to the fact that the feathers are bound with tape and cemented inthe body of the birdie, the birdie is very durable and withstands hardusage. When, however, a eather is broken, it may be removed from thesocket by merely pulling the feather outwardly, and a new feather may besubstituted therefor. The life of the birdie is therefore substantiallyprolonged, and a useful game object having accurate and attractivecharacteristics is thus provided. An advantage lies in the spiralbinding of the lower ends of the eathers for the reason that when thefeathers are pulled out of the body member of the birdie all the tapecomes with it, whereas if the tape were overlapped on the feather thetape would remain in the socket upon removal of the feather.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a device of the character described, a body member having a series ofsockets in one end 'thereof and having an elastic rim extending from thebody member in surrounding relation to said sockets and in acontinuation of. the plane of the outer surface of the body member, andfeathers mounted in said sockets resiliently engaged by said rim toallow temporary blooming of the feathers upon striking said body memberwith an impelling instrument, said rim having grooves formingcontinuations of said sockets seating and acting on said feathers abovethe portions thereof engaged by said sockets to normally maintain thefeathers in nested relation.

KENNETH A. SELLS.

